Cushion heel construction for women&#39;s shoes



Aug. 18, 1964 A. CORTINA 3,1

CUSHION HEEL. CONSTRUCTION FOR WOMEN'S SHOES Filed March 20, 1965 ANTHONY CORT/NA ATT RNE'Y United States Patent 3,144,722 CUSHION HEEL CONSTRUCTIQN FOR WOMENS SHOES Anthony Cortina, 56 Huntington St., New London, Conn. Filed Mar. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 266,618 13 Claims. (Cl. 36-36) This invention relates to a readily replaceable, preferably fiexibly mounted, heel element for womens shoes.

The invention is directed to use of a readily replaceable heel construction for a womans shoe in which the heel element may be vertically yieldable or flexible for maximum comfort and for reduced tendency toward breakage. The yieldable element contributes to comfort while retarding the tendency of the heel to break or to be displaced from its fastening. The invention further provides quickly applicable mountings which secure the heel to the shoe and which may provide some resiliency while accommodating the resilient elements. Finally, the invention allows, by its flexible and rapid mounting, ready replacement of a heel element to accommodate multiple sizes of heels whereby a shoe is available in several sized heels.

The invention is further described in relation to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing diagrammatically the resilient mounting of a heel by a U-spring clip;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the heel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a modified readily replaceable heel structure including means for supporting the heel at alternate heights;

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternate type of readily replaceable heel element useful with heel structures similar to FIG. 1 with a modified resiliency-imparting element;

FIG. 5 shows a modified form of a readily replaceable heel insert wherein the heel base is varied in height as in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a modification of FIGS. 1-5 illustrating an alternate method of resiliently securing the replaceable heel element to the shoe;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view in plan taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 illustrates a further alternate method of securing the heel to the shoe;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the replaceable heel element of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 illustrates a further alternate method of se curing a heel to the shoe by a spring-like element; and

FIG. 11 illustrates an initial phase of mounting the heel of FIG. 10.

' Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a shoe has mounted to the rear heel area portion thereof a heel stock body 12 which is bored, cut, or sloted vertically upward from the bottom to receive a replaceable heel element 14. The heel element 14 has a groove 16 cut radially inward and extending vertically over a substantial central portion such as the distance A between the arrows. Greater or lesser amounts may be removed to form the groove 16, as desired, to allow a corresponding resilient vertical play of the heel in walking. The total vertical axial movement of the heel body 14 is controlled not only by the length A of the groove portion 16, but also by the amount of resilience inherent in a resilient element 18 inserted in the inner cavity portion of the bore of heel stock body ice 12. The resilient element 18 may be of cork, spring metal, plastic or rubber, shaped to loosely or resiliently fill the bore 15 of the heel cavity for ready removal and replacement. A U-shaped retaining spring 20 is inserted by placing each spring arm 22 and 24 into corresponding bores 26 and 28 of the heel face 30. These bores 26 and 28 are cut from a side, preferably the inner face 30 of the heel body 12 as two tiny holes separated to approximate the diameter of the heel element 14 to resiliently clamp or grip the shank of the heel at the groove portion 16. The U-shaped retaining spring 20 has inner ends 32 bent inward toward the heel shank, whereby the arms 22 and 24 are separated a distance less than the diameter of the grooved portion 16 to flexibly grip the heel. Consequently, upon insertion of the U-shaped spring clip 20 through the horizontal bores 26 and 28, with the heel insert mounted in the bore 15 of the heel base, the arms 22 and 24 will resiliently grip groove portion 16 about the shank of the heel element 14 firmly retaining the heel insert,.with a resilient gripping force upon the shank, retaining the heel insert securely in the vertical bore 15 of the heel body 12.

In use of the heel construction as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a resilient cushioning and spacing element 18 is placed in the inner cavity portion of the bore 15 and the heel body element 14 is inserted for vertical cushioning pressure thereon. Finally, the U-shaped spring element is inserted, each arm in bores 26 and 28 to resiliently clamp the heel element 14 in place. When walking upon this heel assembly, the wearer displaces the heel element 14' vertically with each step against the resilient element 18 thus imparting substantial vertical movement as provided both by the resilient element 18 and large vertical play available in the grooved portion 16 between the arrows A. The heel element as well as resilient element are readily removed by simple removal of the U-clamp 20 whereby the heel element 14 and shank is withdrawn and replaced by another heel element 14 or if desired the resilient element 18 may also be replaced. Moreover, with the structure shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to replace resilient element 18 with a smaller one; that is, one extending about /2 the vertical distance of the element shown in FIG. 1, for example, whereby the heel element 14 becomes shortened by about the corresponding distance. In this manner by merely replaceing the resilient element 18 with one of a different size, the heel itself becomes adjusted in height by a reasonable amount in height as desired. That structure, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has the advantage of ready heel replacement, great flexibility in use and quick adjustment of the height of a heel by selection of a desired height of the resilient element 18 mounted in heel bore 15.

In an alternate construction as shown in FIG. 3, a heel element 34 is provided having several grooved portions 36, 38 and 40 at diiferent selected heights. Substitution of heel element 34 for heel element 14 in FIG. 1 allows the heel element 34 to be clamped by a U-shaped clamp 20 as in FIG. 1 at any selected height 36, 38 or 40 by selecting the desired height and inserting the clamp element 20 in the groove desired. This construction preferably may employ an inner resilient element such as element 18 of FIG. 1 selected to the height or depth needed for the selected heel height of grooves 36, 38 or 40, whichever is used.

In a further modification as shown in FIG. 4, the heel element 42 is provided with a larger diameter heel base 44. A resiliency-imparting element such as an annular rubber washer 46 is mounted between the large heel base flange and the heel stock body with an inner cut-out portion sized to fit about the heel shank element 42. The heel shank 42 is also formed with a groove 48, narrow so as to fix the heel height, and the assembly is fitted into bore portion 15 of heel body 12 of FIG. 1. The grooved portion 48 is of sufficient height, when secured by a U-shaped clamp such as clamp 20 of FIG. 1 inserted as described therewith to impart whatever play is desired by the resilient element 46.

The enlarged diameter of the lower heel base 44 overlies the bottom 12b (FIG. 11) of the heel body 12 substantially as shown in FIG. 6 whereby resilient element 46 provides substantially all of the resiliency needed while allowing mounting and securing of shank portion 42 thro gh the groove 48. The upper heel shank portion 50 may be sufficiently elongated to substantially fill the bore 15 of the heel body 12 except for whatever distance is necessary for resilient movement by the resilient element 46 and groove 48 for vertical flexible movement of the heel shank 42 and 50 within the bore 15. This construction may therefore be used with the resilient element 46 as the sole resiliency-imparting means in the heel construction, or additional resilient elements such as element 18 of FIG. 1 may be used mounted above the upper end of the shank portion 50 within the base 15 as shown in FIG. 1.

In a modification shown in FIG. 5, the grooved portion 47 may be cut at any selected height on a shank portion 43, thereby allowing for use of a larger or smaller resiliency-imparting element 18 within the bore 15 of heel body 12 as in FIG. 1, to accommodate any deficiency in length of shank portion 51. Moreover, a longer heel base 45 comprising the wearing portion may be provided as desired, having the effect of being a taller heel. With such modification, therefore, the wearer may use a short heel base 44 as in FIG. 4 for afternoon or walking wear, and then substitute the shorter insert with larger base 45 for evening wear merely by withdrawing U-shaped pin 20 of FIG. 1 and substituting the desired heel inserts. This practice of selecting a heel height as well as a resilient element of desired height is readily applicable to the inserts of FIGS. 1, 3, 4 or as desired. In the instance of FIG. 3, one varies only the position of the pin setting 20 for adjusting the height of the heel. In FIGS. 4 and 5 one withdraws the long or short heel base insert, substituting one for the other, selecting whatever height of heel is desired.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 an alternate mounting means for a heel is shown. A central shank portion 52 is provided which may be of rectangular shape as in FIG. 7, or of any other shape including round. This shank portion 52 is fitted wtihin a bore 54 of the heel body 12. The bore 54 comprises a cut-out portion corresponding in shape to the shank portion 52. The lower end of the shank portion 52 is fitted to or is integral with the lower heel portion 44. An annular resiliency-imparting element 46 is mounted about the shank portion 52 as in FIG. 4, the shank portion being fitted within the bore 54 for vertical sliding movement. As shown in FIG. 6, the shank portion 52 has a slot 56 cut horizontally therein in which a latch bore pin 58 is fixed to allow sliding movement of the shank 56 for the height of the slot 56. An outer keeper portion 60 of the pin extends to some position above the slotted portion 54 where it is firmly secured to the inner face 30 of the heel 12 by a tack or screw 62. In use of the shoe and heel of FIGS. 6 and 7 the construction permits the weight of the wearer to be supported by the heel base 44. Resiliency is imparted by element 46 which allows vertical sliding movement of base 44 and shank portion 52 within bore 54. The pin 58 in slot 56 retains the shank portion 52 of the heel securely, while- 4 allowing vertical sliding movement of the heel assembly for optimum resilience. The heel is readily removed by merely removing the securing screw or tack 62, withdrawing the keeper element 60 and the pin 58 from the slot 56 whereby the heel and its shank portion 52 becomes easily removed from the heel body 12, and the wearing element may be replaced. As before, additional resilience-imparting elements may be included within bore 54.

In an alternate modification, a readily replaceable heel element is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 having an enlarged wearing base 64 to which is fitted a vertical shank portion 66. The shank portion may be rectangular or round as desired and fitted within a bore 68 of a heel base 12. The lower end of the wearing base 64 is axially bored at 70 to receive, deeply countersunk, head 72 of a screw having long shank 74. At least one resilient element 76 is mounted between the wearing base 64 and heel base 12. Alternately, a second inner resilient element 78 may be mounted above the slidable shank 66 for imparting resilience at that point. If desired, either of the resilienceimparting elements 76 and 78 may be omitted. The wearing heel base 64 and its shank portion is readily mounted and removed from the carrier heel base 12 by applying or fastening or removal of the long screw 72 as will appear from the drawing.

In a further modification, a snap-on type of heel mounting is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. For this purpose, as in FIGS. 5 through 9, a wearing base 80 of the heel is provided with a resilience-imparting annular element 82 and a sliding shank portion 84 which again may be rectangular to avoid rotation or even round as desired. However, whatever shape is selected, a correspondingly shaped bore 86 is formed within the heel base 12. A spring-retaining slot 88 is cut preferably inward between the inner face p of the heel base 12 to the bore 86 to provide a retaining slot for receiving an upper securing arm 90 of a spring fastener having a spring shank 92 supporting the arm 90 at the upper end for insertion within the slot 88. The lower end of the shank 92 terminates in an arm 94 bent inward, opposite in direction to the arm 90, and sized for fitting within a slot 96 cut into the contiguous face of the shank 84. The upper end of shank 84 has a central angularly disposed shoulder 98 cut diagonally flat upon which the supporting shank portion 92 lies in fastening position, as shown in FIG. H. In that fastening position the relatively straight shank portion supports the locking arm 90 vertically slidably within the bore 86, with the lower fastening pin 94 protruding substantially outward at a fastening angle forward of the shank portion 84 and into the lower end of the slot 96 of the heel base. In snap fastenable mounting, from the position of elements shown in FIG. II, the heel base 12 is brought down upon the sliding shank portion 84, sliding within the bore 86. The lower end of the heel 12b and its bore wall 86 bear against the lower shank portion 92 forcing the fastening pin shank 92 to spring vertically erect to the portion as shown in FIG. 10; that is, forcing the lower fastening pin 94 into slot 96, erecting the vertical shank portion 92 to the vertical position as shown in FIG. 10, while simultaneously forcing the upper fastening spring portion 90 into the re taining slot 88, to the position of FIG. 10. This operation both snaps the fastening element into fastening posi tion of FIG. 10 and securely retains the heel insert locked in that position until removal is effected. For removal it is necessary only to insert a key or pin into the slot 88 pressing the fastening arm 90 inward and out of the slot 88, bending the spring shank 92 back into the retaining bore 86, while pulling downward upon the heel base 80, thus dislodging the entire assembly whereby it assumes the position shown in FIG. 11. The fastening slots 88 and 96 may be enlarged to provide some play to accommodate the resiliency of the element 82. However, much of that resiliency may be taken up in the spring-like shank of the securing element 92.

It is apparent that certain modifications are available to those skilled in the art for producing a readily replaceable heel following the principle of this invention. The internal bore of the heel support 12, while referred to as a bore, may be cut in various shapes, indeed as shown it is often desirable to form it other than round; for example, rectangular. As preferred, in some instances, it tends to resist any rotary twist of the heel element. Consequently, the term bore as used herein is intended to indicate any shaped vertical slot in which the shank portion of the heel insert can slide or be reciprocated for easy replacement and usually allow some resilient play in use, while being relatively firmly secured.

I claim:

1. A quickly replaceable heel structure for womens shoes comprising a womans shoe having a heel-supporting base mounted to depend to an intermediate depth below the heel area of a womans shoe, said supporting base being central bored to receive and support in ver tically sliding fit the vertically extending shank portion of a removable heel insert, said shank portion extending to a vertical position substantially less than the total bore height to provide a space above the upper end of said shank portion, a spacing element comprising a solid uniform body disposed in the upper end of said bore shaped to the cross section thereof and sized to a selected spacing depth, said shank portion bearing against said spacing element at its upper end and supporting a non-resilient heel-wearing layer at its lower end, said heel element being supported in total wearing height in said heel assembly by said spacing element, and laterally removable clamping means mounted about and securing said shank portion within the bore of said depending heel base.

2. A quickly replaceable heel structure for womens shoes comprising a womans shoe having a heel suppor ting base mounted to depend to an intermediate depth below the heel area of the shoe, said supporting base being centrally bored to receive and support, in vertical sliding fit, the vertically extending shank portion of a removable heel insert, said shank portion being fastened at its lower end and centrally supporting a non-resilient heel wearing layer therebeneath, said shank portion being slidingly mounted and extending vertically to a selected position within said bore and its upper end terminating below the top of said bore, a spacing element comprising a solid uniform body sized laterally and longitudinally to fit in said bore to selected spacing depth with its upper end bearing against the top of said bore with its lower end bearing upon the upper end of said shank portion spacing and supporting said heel insert outward of said supporting base at a heel height corresponding to the length of said spacing element, and removable clamping means securing said shank portion within the bore of said supporting base.

3. The shoe structure defined in claim 2 wherein the spacing element disposed within the bore is formed of solid uniform resilient material, an annular groove about said shank elongated vertically, and said clamping means slidingly grips the shank of said heel insert within said groove allowing vertical shank movement whereby to accommodate resilient vertical play of said shank against said resilient element under walking pressure.

4. The shoe heel structure as defined in claim 2 wherein the shank portion of said insert has an annular groove reducing its diameter and sized to be gripped by said clamping, said groove having its reduced diameter portion extending vertically along said shank to accommodate substantial resilient vertical movement of said clamped shank and heel under Walking pressure.

5. The heel structure as defined in claim 2 wherein the shank portion of said insert has an annular groove reducing its diameter of said shank sized to be gripped by said clamping means, said groove having its reduced diameter portion extending vertically along said shank to accommodate substantial resilient vertical movement of said clamped shank heel under walking pressure, the reduced diameter vertical extension of said groove being sufiiciently elongated to accommodate a series of several alternately sized spacer elements disposed within the inner heel bore above the upper shank end each selectively sized to provide a series of selected variations in the extending height of the heel.

6. The heel structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said clamping means is a U-shaped spring clamp hav ing resilient arms sized to resiliently press and secure the shank within said groove, said heel supporting base being bored horizontally from its forward heel face with parallel bores between said face and the inner vertical bore at a height corresponding to the grooved portion of said base, and the U-shaped clamp is clamping mounted with its spacing arms inserted from the forward face of said heel base into said bores to resiliently grip and clamp the shank portion of said heel insert with said arms in said annular groove.

7. The heel structure defined in claim 2 wherein the shank portion of said heel insert has several annular grooves each disposed at several different selected vertical heights above said shank portion, said removable clamping means securing said shank portion at a selected height within one of said grooves.

8. The heel structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the heel insert is fastened to a heel wearing layer laterally extending beyond the heel insert, and a resilient element is inserted about said shank intermediate, said heel wearing layer and the lower end of said supporting base.

9. The heel structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the shank portion has a slot cut radially inward therein, and the said clamping means comprises a pin extending horizontally from the inner face of the heel and supported horizontally in said slot a keeper integral with said pin and bent to extend parallel to said face of the heel supporting base and means for fastening said keeper against said face whereby said pin secures the sank portion of said heel insert within said heel base.

10. The heel construction as defined in claim 9 wherein the slot in said shank portion extends vertically beyond the height of said pin and the heel insert is mounted resiliently within said bore, said elongated slot and pin allowing resilent movement of said heel insert within said bore while securely retaining the same.

11. A quickly replaceable heel structure for womens shoes comprising a womans shoe having a heel supporting base mounted to depend to an intermediate depth below the heel area of the shoe, said supporting base being centrally bored to receive and support in vertical sliding fit the vertically extending shank portion of a removable heel insert, said shank portion being fastened to and centrally supporting a non-resilient heel wearing layer therebeneath, a slot cut horizontally inward from an edge of said shank portion at a point near its juncture with the Wearing layer, a second slot cut substantially horizontally between the inner face of the heel supporting base and the vertical bore therein at a height above the top of the shank portion of said insert in fixed position within the said heel assembly, and a snapacting resilient spring retaining pin securing said heel insert in assembled position in said heel support, said pin having a spring metal shank extending the vertical distance between the said horizontal slots in heel insert position of the assembly, said shank having an upper arm disposed horizontally and extending outwardly from the pin shank to the heel support base face to lie within the upper horizontal slot in insert locking position, and a lower arm at the opposite end of said shank extending horizontally inward toward the axis of the heel insert to lie within the lower horizontal slot in said shank portion, the horizontal arms of said locking pin being resiliently snapped each to lie within one of said horizontal slots and securing said heel insert in locked position in said heel support base.

12. The heel structure as defined in claim 11 wherein the shank portion is rectangular.

13. The heel structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the shank portion has an intermediate grooved area cut annularly about said shank to a substantially reduced diameter, and the clamping means comprises a U-shaped clamp having spring arms, inserted from the inner face of said heel support base with the arms resilently gripping the reduced diameter portion of said shank and lying within said groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Windle Mar. 4, 1958 Windle June 3, 1958 Bodt Nov. 17, 1959 Pfeil July 3, 1962 Tholander Oct. 2, 1962 

1. A QUICKLY REPLACEABLE HEEL STRUCTURE FOR WOMEN''S SHOES COMPRISING A WOMAN''S SHOE HAVING A HEEL-SUPPORTING BASE MOUNTED TO DEPEND TO AN INTERMEDIATE DEPTH BELOW THE HEEL AREA OF A WOMAN''S SHOE, SAID SUPPORTING BASE BEING CENTRAL BORED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT IN VERTICALLY SLIDING FIT THE VERTICALLY EXTENDING SHANK PORTION OF A REMOVABLE HEEL INSERT, SAID SHANK PORTION EXTENDING TO A VERTICAL POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE TOTAL BORE HEIGHT TO PROVIDE A SPACE ABOVE THE UPPER END OF SAID SHANK PORTION, A SPACING ELEMENT COMPRISING A SOLID UNIFORM BODY DISPOSED IN THE UPPER END OF SAID BORE SHAPED TO THE CROSS SECTION THEREOF AND SIZED TO A SELECTED SPACING DEPTH, SAID SHANK PORTION BEARING AGAINST SAID SPACING ELEMENT AT ITS UPPER END AND SUPPORTING A NON-RESILIENT HEEL-WEARING LAYER AT ITS LOWER END, SAID HEEL ELEMENT BEING SUPPORTED IN TOTAL WEARING HEIGHT IN SAID HEEL ASSEMBLY BY SAID SPACING ELEMENT, AND LATERALLY REMOVABLE CLAMPING MEANS MOUNTED ABOUT AND SECURING SAID SHANK PORTION WITHIN THE BORE OF SAID DEPENDING HEEL BASE. 